Chelsea's Healthy Gift Ideas

December 17, 2014Chelsea Blackbird, Certified Nutritional Therapist

Still looking for gift ideas? Here are a few of my favorite healthy things to give:

1. For the stocking….

Chocolate! I’m addicted to these Dark Chocolate Honey Mints from Trader Joe’s. They taste just like peppermint patties but only have 3 ingredients: honey, chocolate, and peppermint. These are perfect little portion controlled goodies. One or two will help satisfy your holiday sweet tooth in a healthier way.

2. For the friend…

Books make a great gift for your health-conscious loved one. For someone who needs eye-opening dietary motivation, I recommend Wheat Belly. This is one I always suggest to new clients who tend to be “over-carbing.” For those who need cooking inspiration, I love the Against All Grain cookbook. It teaches how to cook delicious food without processed grains. My favorite recipes include chocolate granola, roasted butternut squash soup, honey-lime salmon tostadas, orange-cranberry muffins, strawberry cake, and homemade pizza crust.

3. For the kids…

Confession. I really wanted this Human Body toy for me. I gave it to my son for his 9th birthday thinking he might like it okay, but that it would eventually “disappear” to my office where I would use it as a teaching tool for my clients. Well, that plan tanked. The second my son opened it and all of his friends shouted “ewwwwww!!!!” and started pulling at the squishy intestines, I knew I would have to buy my own copy. It’s created the opportunity for lots of conversation about food and health with my kids (ages 3-9). For a learning toy, it’s still got a lot of cool factor.

4. For the family…

This kitchen appliance is just fun. This spiralizer helps turn vegetables into fun strands – zucchini into noodles, cucumber into ribbons, potatoes into curly fries, etc. My kids love to help transform the veggies and think “zoodles” are just as fun noodles.

5. For you…

A few years ago I had to decide which to spend my birthday money on: a new pair of Frye boots or a Vitamix. Boots or blender, boots or blender? Tough call, but I went for the blender and have no regrets. I use my Vitamix at least twice a day on everything from smoothies to soups (it obliterates the chunky veggies so your kids don’t even know they’re eating them!), sauces, nut butters, and as an all-around mixer! It is my most used appliance in the kitchen and was worth every penny. I’m still eyeing those boots, though. (BlendTec is an equally powerful megablender – a good choice, too!)